Great strides have been made to make bow hunting available to the general public. With the advent of compound bows and modern sights even a rank beginner with a bow can participate in this increasingly popular sport. However, the compound bow and the attached equipment are heavier than the old bows, and holding the bow steady at arm's length while aiming and firing can be a problem, particularly for people with lesser physical strength. This problem is compounded in a hunting situation where the hunter may have to wait after drawing the bow for the game to move to a favorable spot or position before firing. This invention addresses the problem for hunting from a tree stand or a ground blind by providing a steady rest for the bow which steadies the bow while being aimed and fired. It does for the bow what a shooting rest does for rifle hunting. In addition, the bow rest holds the bow in a ready position with no effort from the user while waiting for game to appear.